Floor and tile system with pad

ABSTRACT

A method for installing flooring boards is provided. The method comprises laying down a two layer pad on a floor, applying a band of adhesive, laying a flooring board on the top of the two shifted-layer pad and the edge of the floor board occupying one half of the width of the band, and laying an adjacent floor board, which covers the remaining of the band of the adhesive.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to flooring, and more particularly, to method ofinstalling padded flooring tiles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Stone tiles, ceramic tiles, and porcelain tile are normally installed oncement board with mortar and grout. The installation process generallyinvolves the following steps. First, previous floor needs to be removedand cleaned, and then the mortar must be mixed and applied onto thefloor. After the mortar is applied and before it cures, a cement boardis laid on the top of the floor and a layer of mortar is applied on thetop of the cement board. Tiles are placed on the top of the cement boardbefore the mortar is cured. After the tiles are firmly attached to theconcrete board, grout can be applied to fill the gaps between the tiles.After the grout is applied, the excess of grout needs to be removed andthe tiles are then cleaned. Grout sealant is applied to make the groutstain resistant. If the tiles are installed on a plywood subfloorinstead of the concrete floor, the cement board can be nailed instead ofaffixed using the grout.

The process above is wet and requires experience; it could not be easilymastered by a DIY installer. For professional installer, the processdescribed above is laborious and lengthy. Most time is spent waiting formortar to cure and grout to dry, especially for small job such asbathroom. Therefore, there is a need for a process that enables easy andquick installation of tiles, and it is to this method the presentinvention is primarily directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method for installing floor covering.The installing process is broken into two stages. First pre-assembledpads with ceramic floors are prepared, then these pre-assembled pads areused to cover the floor. The invention introduces use of a pad coveredwith restickable glue.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method forinstalling a flooring covering. The method comprises laying a band ofadhesive on the top of a pad with a resticakable glue layer, the band ofadhesive having a width and laying a first flooring element on the pad.The first flooring element has a first edge, the first edge being placedon the band of adhesive, and the first edge does not occupy more thanhalf of the width of the band of adhesive. The method further compriseslaying a second flooring element on the pad. The second flooring elementhas a second edge and the second edge is placed on the band of adhesiveand adjacent to the first edge. Finally the pad is placed on a floor.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a pre-assembledpad with flooring elements. The pre-assembled pad comprises a pad with atop side and a bottom side, a layer of restickable glue placed on thebottom side of the pad, a plurality of bands of adhesive on the top sideof the pad, and a plurality of flooring elements placed on the top sideof the pad, each element being placed between two bands.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention there is provided amethod for installing a wall covering. The method comprises the steps ofattaching a pad with a restickable glue layer on both sides of the padon a wall, laying a band of adhesive on the top of a pad, the band ofadhesive having a width, and laying a first flooring element on the pad.The first flooring element has a first edge, the first edge being placedon the band of adhesive, and the first edge does not occupying more thanhalf of the width of the band of adhesive. Finally the method comprisesthe step of laying a second flooring element on the pad, the secondflooring element having a second edge, the second edge being placed onthe band of adhesive and adjacent to the first edge.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a method forinstalling a floor covering. The method comprises the steps of coveringa pad with a layer of resticakable glue, laying a first flooring boardon the pad, the first flooring board having a first tongue and a firstgroove, placing an adhesive on the first tongue, sliding a secondflooring board with a second tongue and second groove on the pad, thesecond groove being engaged to the first tongue, and placing the pad ona floor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and advantages of embodiments of the invention will becomeapparent as the following Detailed Description proceeds, and uponreference to the Drawings, where like numerals depict like elements, andin which:

FIG. 1 is a cross section view of a padded ceramic tiles installed on afloor;

FIG. 2A is a cross-section illustration of an alternative embodiment ofa pad for installing ceramic pads;

FIG. 2B illustrates an alternative embodiment for the groove;

FIG. 2C illustrates yet another alternative embodiment of the inventionfor glue down installation;

FIG. 2D illustrates yet another alternative embodiment of the inventionwith a wood veneer;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section view of an alternative embodimentwith a double layer pad;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment of a doublelayer pad with ceramic tiles;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a double layer pad of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a top view of a floor installed with ceramic tiles and woodenboards;

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment for wall installation;

FIG. 9 illustrates an installation method of the present invention forhardwood floor boards with tongue and groove;

FIG. 10 illustrates two hardwood floor boards after installation;

FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative way to install the hardwood floorboards;

FIG. 12 illustrates an easy way to engage two adjacent floor boards; and

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a method for installing ceramic flooraccording to the invention

FIG. 14 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present ion;

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate yet another alternative embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 17-19 illustrate alternative methods of installation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method for installing padded floortiles and/or floor boards. The method eliminates use of cements to affixtiles and user of grout for filling gaps between the tiles. Theinstalled floor offers soft sensation to users who walk on this floorand also reduces noises generally associated with the ceramic or woodfloors. The installed ceramic floor also offers some flexibility, thuspreventing cracks that often are associated with ceramic/stone tiles.The ceramic/stone tiles the present invention are pre-assembled on asoft and flexible pad with use of restickable glue and this pad servesas a cushion that provides soft feeling for people who walk on it. Theflexible pad also eliminates the need for preparation of theunderlayment or subfloor, which means that the ceramic tiles can beinstalled on top of the subfloor that is not perfectly leveled. Becauseof the pre-installed flexible pad comes with a layer of restickableglue, there is no need for application of additional glue during theinstallation time; consequently, the installation process can be madeeasy and fast. The flexible pad also prevents spilled liquid to reachthe underlayment and subfloor easily and thus preventing damage to theunderlayment or subfloor. The subfloor in the context of thisapplication can be wood surface or a cement slab. The restickable glueis not liquid glue; it is a high viscosity polymer based glue. Oneexample of restickable glue is EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) class ofglue.

FIG. 1 is a cross section view 100 of a padded ceramic tiles 102installed on a floor 110. The pad 104 is affixed onto the floor 110 andthe ceramic tiles 102 are first secured to the pad 104 through a layerof restickable glue 112 and then firmly attached with a bandadhesive/grout 106. The band of the adhesive/grout 106 is laid on thetop of the pad 104 and the edge of a ceramic tile 102 is placed on thetop of the adhesive/grout 106. The adhesive/grout 106 can be epoxygrout, urethane grout, urethane glue, liquid nail, for stone and tile,or other type of glue that can be used with stone or tile. The width ofthe band is preferably 1 cm-3 cm.

The ceramic tiles 102 are preferably gauged tiles, gauged marble, orgranite tiles, i.e., their edges have been through the grinding process,thus having a perfect sizing and no grout line is needed. The gaugedtiles can be aligned easily and have a better presentation; however,they are not necessary. In the case of non gauged tiles are used, thenflexible grout, such as urethane grout or epoxy grout, is recommended.The flexible grout will mask out the imperfections on the tile edges.

The adhesive 106 plays several functions in the installation of ceramictiles. The adhesive 106 glues two adjacent ceramic tiles 102 togetherand also glues the ceramic tiles to the pad 104. The adhesive 106provides certain flexibility to the ceramic tiles 102, such that theceramic tiles 102 are flexible in relation to the pad 104. The adhesive106 also provides mechanical support for the ceramic tiles 102, so thatthe ceramic tiles 102 act like one single piece once installed on thepad 104. The adhesive 106 also serves the role of grout and seals the“grout” line, so that no water will leak between the ceramic tiles 102.In the case of the tiles are joined by epoxy grout, the epoxy grout willserve as mortar, grout, and grout sealer. The adhesive 106 can also bepolymer modified grout, which is a grout (sanded or unsanded) mixed withsome glue and additive such as PVA.

The pad 104 plays several functions in the installation of ceramictiles. The pad 104 being soft and flexible enables greater grippingforce between the pad 104 and the ceramic tiles 102. The pad 104 alsoserves as cushion that absorbs shock and other impact forces, thusreducing the breakage of ceramic tiles 102. Because of the cushioneffect, when a user walks on the installed ceramic tiles, the user feelsthe softness generally associated with expensive tapestry. The pad 104serves also as a moisture barrier, preventing the water from reachingthe sub-floor. The pad 104 is also a good insulator of coldness andhelps to keep the floor warm. The restickable glue 112 helps to hold thetiles 102 during the installation and also helps to prevent waterspreading. The pad 104 is stretchable, the pad also serve as membranethat prevents tiles from cracking when the subfloor moves. The pad 104can be made from EVA foam, non woven cloth, urethane foam, rubber pad,PE foam, PVC tiles, foam, plastic films/membranes, wood veneer, laminateveneer, carpet, etc. The weakness of softness of the pad 104 is overcomeby the flexibility of adhesive/epoxy grout. The tiles do not have to beinstalled on the hard board, where stress often cracks, and theinstallation procedure is complicated and cost is high. The concept ofthe tile installed on a soft pad eliminates the stress, and allows thesoft pad to absorb stress and impact.

As shown in FIG. 1, a band 108 of the adhesive is spread on the top ofthe pad 104, and a tile 102 is placed on the top of this band 108 ofadhesive. As two adjacent tiles are placed, the adhesive is squeezed tofill the gap between the ceramic tiles 102. The adhesive also is alsopushed down onto the pad 104, forming a little depression as shown inadhesive 106. The pad 104 with tiles 102 are placed on the top of thesubfloor 110. The pad 104 is preferably not firmly attached to thesubfloor 110 and the pad 104 “floats” over the subfloor 110. Thefloating pad 104 reduces the possibility of tiles 102 cracking becauseof different expansion rate between the subfloor 110 and the ceramictiles 102. The pad 104 can be also attached firmly to the subfloor aswell. The attachment can be done by glue, adhesive, restickable glue,staple, etc.

FIG. 2A is a cross-section illustration 200 of an alternative embodimentof a pad 204 for installing ceramic pads 102. The pad 204 has multiplelongitudinal grooves 206 that run along its width. The groove 206 can bemade by heat pressing down the pad 204 or adding an additional layer(not shown) on top of the pad 204. A band of the adhesive 208 isdeposited onto the groove 206. As tiles 102 are placed on the top of thepad 204, the adhesive 208 is squeezed between the ceramic tiles 102, anda film 210 of adhesive 208 fills up the gap between the ceramic tiles102. The groove 206 enables formation of a strip 202, which provides athick and firm link between the ceramic tiles 102. The strip 202 ofinverted T shape fills the joint between the two ceramic tiles 102 andthe pad 204. The strip 202 serves support for connecting the ceramictiles 102 and the pad 204 together. This connection reduces the verticalmovement and forces between two adjacent tiles as one tile is beingstepped on and another tile is not. This also reduces the potentialdisconnection/cracking between the two adjacent tiles. In case of groutis used between tiles, this inverted T connection will stabilize thegrout line. The strip 202 also provides certain flexibility to the floorformed by the ceramic tiles 102 and the pad 204. When the pad 204 withthe ceramic tiles 102 is placed on a subfloor 110, the pad 204 serves asa cushion providing sensation of softness to a user walking on the topof the finished floor.

FIG. 2B illustrates an alternative embodiment 220 for the groove. Thegroove 226 can have different shapes: such as rectangle, oval, triangle,or stair shapes. FIG. 2B also shows ceramic tiles 102 placed over doublepads 224, 230. The pad 230 can be one layer of plastic film, enforcedfiber cloth, or non weave cloth. FIG. 2C illustrates yet anotheralternative embodiment 250 for the invention. In the embodiment 250, thetile floor is not floating, but glued down. The pad 252 is a net thatallows the glue to penetrate onto the subfloor 110 and the tiles areglued down onto the subfloor 110. This embodiment is suitable for showerusage. This embodiment is also useful for wall tile installation sincethe net can be stapled onto the plywood before grout application. Thiseliminates the need for cement board because the tiles are sealed withglue and epoxy grout. FIG. 2D illustrates another alternative embodiment280 where the groove can be further strengthened with a wood veneer, aplastic sheet, or a laminate sheet. The wood veneer 282 is strongmechanically and can be glued down. on stone or tile. The wood veneer282 is installed in a perpendicular direction relative to the tiles 102.This improved the structure may further stabilize the grout or twopieces of tile after installation. Though the pad is a soft cushion, butat joint, it could be stabilized as a solid substrate.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment 300with a double layer pad 302. The pad 302 has two layers 308, 310 ofsub-pads. Two layers of sub-pads 308 and 310 are offset of each other.The ceramic tiles 102 are attached to first sub-pad 310 of the pad 302through adhesive 306. There is an over-hang portion 312 of the firstsub-pad 310 that extends beyond the second sub-pad 308 and there is atrailing portion 314 of the second sub-pad 308 that extends beyond thefirst sub-pad 310. When two double layer pads 302 are placed adjacent toeach other, the over-hang portion 312 of one pad 302 is placed on thetop of the trailing portion 314 of another pad 302. The adhesive can beused to glue two adjacent pads 302 together. Because the sizes of thetiles are often slight different from their standard size, with thisdouble layer, the portion of the pad over hangs can be adjusted to allowthe groove distance between two adjacent tiles.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment 400 of adouble layer pad 402 with ceramic tiles 304. In this embodiment,adhesive 404 is placed on a semi-circular groove. FIG. 5 is anillustration 500 of a double layer pad of FIG. 4. The double layer padis formed by a lower layer 504 and a top layer 506 and a plurality ofsemi-circular grooves 502 are distributed on the top layer 506. Thegrooves 502 may have other shapes. The top layer 506 is shifted from thelower layer 504 and the top layer 506 is partially over hang from thelower portion 504.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment 600 of the presentinvention. In this embodiment 600, ceramic tiles 606 interlaced withwooden boards 604 are placed on a pad 602. The ceramic tiles 606 andwooden board 604 may have similar dimensions and are attached onto thepad 603 through adhesive as described above. The ceramic tiles 606 mayhave different dimensions from the wooden board 604 as shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a floor 700 installed with ceramic tiles 704 andwooden boards 702. In the floor 700, the ceramic tiles 704 are placed ona pad and separated from each other by wooden edges 702. In thetraditional tile installation, this mix of wood board and ceramic tileis not easy to handle because wood board is not able to be attached withmortar or grout. The water in mortar will warp the wood and it will notfirmly bond the wood boards. With this method, tile and wood board canbe easily installed on the same pad with same adhesive or epoxy grout.For floor board 700 shown in FIG. 7 and embodiment 600 shown in FIG. 6,other non-wooden boards such as porcelain tiles and stone tiles may alsobe used.

The present invention may also be applicable for wall installation asshown in FIG. 8. FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment 800 for wallinstallation. The ceramic tiles 804 are attached onto a pad 802. Bothsides of the pad 802 are covered with restickable glue 808 that helps tosecure the pad 802 on the wall and also helps to secure the ceramictiles 804 in place while adhesive 806 that glues two adjacent ceramictiles 804 together cures. The pad 802 can be secured onto the wall byglue, screws, staples, nails, or other attaching means. The pad ismounted on a mesh net where the net allows the restickable glue todirectly glue the pad onto the wall. The restickable glue also temporaryholds the tile at a wall position, while the glue on the groove aftercure will hold the tile permanently.

The present invention can also be applied to installation of hardwoodfloor boards. Normally, hardwood floor boards are glued or nailed onto asubfloor and more recently they can also be installed “floating” withmechanical locks. However, these installation methods are less thandesired for the following reasons. The glued down floor made fromengineered wood boards often experience delamination because ofdifferent expansion rate of materials and the floating floor is prone towater leakage.

The present invention provides an easy way for installing floor boards.Generally, a first row of floor boards is placed and pressed onto a padwith a pressure sensitive glue. Pressure sensitive glue/adhesive adheresto most surfaces with very slight pressure. They are available insolvent and latex or water-based forms. They adhere with just finger orhand pressure and do not require activation by water, solvent or heat.The pressure sensitive glue will not take effect until a pressure isapplied. The second row of the floor board will be slid into theirposition. The floor board will not stick to the pad because the pressureis not applied yet. After the second row of floor boards is wellpositioned, installer can simply step on the second raw floor boards,which will glue to pad firmly. The glue on the pad is pre-manufacturedglue, which can be used directly to hold the floor board securely. Floorboards can be hardwood, laminate, bamboo, vinyl, or engineered material.The floor board bottom can be coated, treated, or covered a layer ofmaterial, such as laminate floor boards and plastic films, that havestrong bonding with restickable glue. The floating hardwood floorinstallation for pressure sensitive pad:

-   -   1: The floor board is pressed down (stepped on) onto a pressure        sensitive glue covered pad. The pad is not glued unless the        press is applied.    -   2. Slide next row of the floor boards. The glue does not stick        to the boards because the pressure is not applied yet. The board        can be hand press/slide in, or hammered into the position.    -   3. Press down (step on) the newly installed the boards onto the        glue such that the pad firmly grip the new boards.        The floating hardwood floor installation for laminate floor:    -   1. The laminate board is pressed down (stepped on) to a pressure        sensitive glue covered pad. The pad is not glued until the        pressure is applied.    -   2. Laminate flip down, and slide next row the floor boards. The        glue does not stick to the boards because the pressure is not        applied yet. The boards can be hand press/slide in, or hammered        into the position.    -   3. Press down (step on) the newly installed the board to all the        glue pad firmly grip the new board.

FIG. 14 is an illustration 1400 of the floor boards installed accordingto the above process. Each floor board 1404, 1406 is equipped with apressure sensitive glue covered pad 1402; one floor board can be slidnext to another floor board. The system can further be improved withglue to bond the floor boards. The glue applied could be a permanentglue, which better enforcement for the floor system. The glue can gluetwo boards, it can also be used to glue them to the pad. For wood floor,White Glue (PVA), Yellow Glue, most wood glue can be applied for thiscase. Liquid nail, polyurethane glue can also be used for this case aswell. Most of glues are easy to cleaned with water or wet mop/sponge ifthe glue surfaced to surface of the wood floor. The floor boards arefirmly held by the restickable glue, the board will not move or shift asthe applied glue cures.

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate another floor board installed according tothe present invention. Hardwood floating installation method based onpressure sensitive pad:

-   -   1. The floor board 1502 is laid down on a pressure sensitive        glue pad 1506. The pad does not stick until the pressure is        applied.    -   2. The wood glue is applied to groove the floor board, some        excessive glue 1508 may be applied to allow the wood board to        glue to the pad.

3. Slide next row 1504 the floor board. The glue does not stick to thisboard because the pressure is not applied yet. The board can be handpress/slide in, or hammered into the position. No gap is left betweenthe boards.

-   -   4. Press down (step on) the newly installed the board to allow        the glue pad firmly grip the new board.

FIG. 17 illustrates an alternative embodiment with a net 1706 for thepad, which allows the floor to glue onto the subfloor. The pad stilluses the pressure sensitive glue. Directly glue down method can also beused as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19. The pad is attached to floor boards,which are smaller than the floor board. The glue can applied at thejoint area; the glue will glue floor boards together and, at the sametime, glue them to the subfloor. The floor pad also holds the floor inthe position. The floor pad also uses a pressure sensitive glue andallow the 2^(nd) raw floor slide to position then press down to securethe position. The glue can also be temperature sensitive glue;temperature sensitive glue will become adhesive when it is heated up toa certain temperature.

The installation method of the present invention can be used withhardwood floor boards with tongue and groove features as shown in FIG.9. A pad 902 covered with a layer of restickable glue is placed on afloor, a first floor board 904 with a tongue 912 and a groove 914 areplaced on the top of the pad 902. The restickable glue holds the floorboard 904 in place while an adjacent floor board 904 is placed. Anadhesive 906 is placed on the tongue 912 of the first floor board 904before the groove 914 of the second floor board 904 is slid onto thetongue 912 of the first floor board 904. The adhesive 906 is compressedbetween the two floor boards and glues them together preventing liquidfrom penetrating between the two floor boards as shown in FIG. 10.Because the pad 902 is flexible, the pad 902 expands and contracts withthe floor boards 904.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart 1300 of a method for installing a floor coveringaccording to the invention. The installation is made easy by dividingthe installation into two stages. The pad is covered with a layer ofrestickable glue and a band of adhesive is spread on the top of the pad,step 1302. After the band of adhesive is placed, a ceramic tile is laidon the pad with an edge of the ceramic tile on the top of the band ofadhesive, step 1304. Preferably the edge of the ceramic the does notoccupy more than half of the width of the band of the adhesive. A secondceramic tile is placed adjacent to the first ceramic tile. The edge ofthe second ceramic tile is also placed on the top of the band ofadhesive and the second ceramic the is pressed against the first ceramictile, step 1306. The compression between two ceramic tiles forces theband of adhesive to fill up the gap between two ceramic tiles with partof the band of adhesive attached to the underside of two ceramic tilesand to the pad. The placement of ceramic tiles is repeated until the padis filled with ceramic tiles. With multiple pads assembled with ceramictiles, an installer can then place the pads on the floor, step 1308. Thepads are placed adjacent to each other, thus covering the floor. Theresulting floor is covered with “floating” ceramic tiles. If the pad isa double layer pad as described above, during the installation of thepads, the over-hang of a pad is placed on the top of the trailingportion of another pad. Though the above installation process isdescribed based on ceramic tiles, the process is equally applicable forinstalling other flooring elements such hardwood floor boards describedabove.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used asterms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention,in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalentsof the features shown and described (or portions thereof), and it isrecognized that various modifications are possible within the scope ofthe claims. Other modifications, variations, and alternatives are alsopossible. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all suchequivalents. Dimensions in the drawings here presented are not to thescale unless otherwise indicated. It is intended that different featuresshown in different figures in this specification may be combinedinterchangeably.

1. A pre-assembled pad with flooring elements comprising: a pad with atop side and a bottom side; a plurality of bands of adhesive on the topside of the pad; and a plurality of flooring elements placed on the topside of the pad, each element being placed between two bands.
 2. Thepre-assembled pad with flooring elements of claim 1, wherein the padfurther being covered with restickable glue on at least one side.
 3. Thepre-assembled pad with flooring elements of claim 1, the pad furthercomprising a plurality of grooves and each band of adhesive being placein one groove.
 4. The pre-assembled pad with flooring elements of claim1; wherein the pad further comprising a net that allows the bands ofadhesive to penetrate.
 5. The pre-assembled pad with flooring elementsof claim 1, wherein the pad being a double-layer pad composed of a firstlayer and a second layer, the first layer placed on top of the secondlayer, the first layer being offset from the second layer.
 6. Thepre-assembled pad with flooring elements of claim 1, wherein adhesivebeing epoxy grout.
 7. The pre-assembled pad with flooring elements ofclaim 1, wherein the adhesive being urethane grout or urethane glue. 8.The pre-assembled pad with flooring elements of claim 1, wherein theadhesive being polymer modified grout.
 9. The pre-assembled pad withflooring elements of claim 1, wherein the flooring elements beingporcelain tiles.
 10. The pre-assembled pad with flooring elements ofclaim 1, wherein the flooring elements being stone tiles.
 11. Thepre-assembled pad with flooring elements of claim 1, wherein theflooring elements being floor boards.
 12. The pre-assembled pad withflooring elements of claim 1, wherein the flooring elements being floorboards interlaced with tiles.
 13. A flooring system comprising: a firstfloor board; a second floor board; and a pad with pressure sensitiveglue, the pad having a top side, wherein the first floor board and thesecond floor board being placed adjacent to each other on the top sideof the pad, the first floor element and second floor board being capableof sliding before a pressure being applied.
 14. The flooring system ofclaim 13, wherein the back side of each floor board being coated with alayer of material that bonds to the pad with pressure sensitive glue.15. The flooring system of claim 14, wherein the layer of material beinga pad pre-coated with pressure sensitive glue.
 16. The flooring systemof claim 13, wherein the pad with pressure sensitive glue is attached tothe back side of each floor board, the floor boards being directlyattached to a sub-floor when a pressure is applied to the floor boards.17. The flooring system of claim 16, wherein the pad is smaller than thefloor boards, wherein the first floor board being placed adjacent to thesecond floor board and the gap formed between the first floor board andthe pad, a band of glue being applied in the gap to attach the floorboards together and also to attach the floor boards to a sub-floor. 18.The flooring system of claim 13, wherein the adhesive being applied to ajoint between the first floor board and the second floor board.
 19. Apad for installing flooring elements having at least one side coveredwith pressure sensitive restickable glue.
 20. A pad for installingflooring elements having a plurality of grooves.